ok frestyle sent me to some random store that didnt even sell to people, just wholesale dealers so now i have no idea where to get these bolts:



2 (two) - M12x1.25 bolts

1 (one) - M16x1.5 bolt



any suggestions?

I got mine from an automotive store.

I had to look up local Bolt/Nut suppliers on the internet to find a place. None of the local auto or hardware stores carried them.

specific one? i figure a place like strauss or autozone wont have them.



kevin.

i plugged it with some bolts from home depot https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png

its better to just go the actual whole way and get a manual steering rack. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png

no its not....its been covered many times...but the PS rack is easier to turn because of the remainder of fluid to push around



although i think the ps rack is 2.5 while the manual is 2.7 lock to lock

it makes it harder to turn freestyle, hence why when you take out your ps pump you remove all the fluid also. Dont try to cut down on me like i dont know what im talking about. Ive changed from ps to manual rack, i know the difference first hand also.

ive driven both as well.....the nonps psrack is much easier to turn



the thing is you dont completely drain ALL the fluid, you still want some in the rack to push around

the manual rack should be easier to turn than the converted ps rack, but the properly converted ps rack will have a quicker ratio and won't be excessively difficult to steer at all, which to me is better than the manual.

I've had good luck with Lowe's carrying the metric hardware I need.

muahaha went to "002 auto parts" (very knowledgable, and always seem to have what i need when places like strauss and **** dont)



anyway it was a desperate first attempt and i asked first if they even had metric bolts and he was like yea what ya need. I said 6x1.5 and 12x1.25 he said yea we got the 12s but that 16 we probably wont have. then he got into a discussion about why i needed it blah blah, and when i said length didnt matter for the bolt size he was like "ohh, well wait one sec."



he came back with an OIL DRAIN PLUG, exactly the size i needed, it was great, it's almost identical to the size of the hole it fills except a litle longer.



anyway p/s removal was a breeze after that.



kevin.

yeah, i went to o'reilly's for the 12 mm bolts, but had to go to Ace Bolt and Fastener for the other 16 mm one.



i've driven both manual and ps manual, and they feel about the same once all the ps fluid leaks out of the rack (the fluid that you can't drain). i enjoy my manual ps rack, it's nice.



only problem: i can't pass state inspection like this. oh well, i just gotta find a cheap backyard mechanic with stickers to do it over the christmas break...

next time try a auto repair shop, they have people come in and

stock thier hardware about once a week.



You think everytime a shop breaks a bolt they go to home depot?

meh i dont see why theyd have a 16x1.5 bolt.



but like i said i found all my bolts in one automotive store, 002 auto parts.



kevin.

mazda isnt the only one to use metric hardware, the same guy who

sold "002 Auto Parts" his bolts, probably services all the repair shops in the area as well.

yes however it's much easier to walk into a retail store where they have prices for individual bolts then to try to convince some repair shop to gimme some.



plus they need a reason to stock bolts, they dont just stock all sizes, and considering 002 auto parts didnt have 16x1.5 as a bolt, only as an oil drain plug i doubt even the repair shops would have 16x1.5 in stock.



kevin.

your right, 100%















"argueing" with you is pointless https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

plus they need a reason to stock bolts, they dont just stock all sizes, and considering 002 auto parts didnt have 16x1.5 as a bolt, only as an oil drain plug i doubt even the repair shops would have 16x1.5 in stock.



kevin. [/quote]

ah **** it, I cant stay away, lol

sometimes when a shop changes someone's

oil the bolt is fugged up ( stripped ) so they need to replace it, hence the reason

for stocking the bolt.

plus they need a reason to stock bolts, they dont just stock all sizes, and considering 002 auto parts didnt have 16x1.5 as a bolt, only as an oil drain plug i doubt even the repair shops would have 16x1.5 in stock.



kevin. [/quote]

ah **** it, I cant stay away, lol

sometimes when a shop changes someone's

oil the bolt is fugged up ( stripped ) so they need to replace it, hence the reason

for stocking the bolt. [/quote]

yes but who'd have thought at an auto shop when i ask for a bolt to go to the oil drain plugs and find the correctly sized one?



i for one never would've thought an oil plug would happen to be the size i needed to plug my p/s.



and im not arguing, im just saying it's easier to grab it at a real auto store then to bother the shop guys.



kevin.